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By Lee Han-soo
North Korea's state media made a rare, direct criticism of China saying its "reckless remarks" on the North's nuclear program are testing its patience and could trigger unspecified "grave" consequences.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), through a commentary written identified only as Kim Chol, said China had "crossed the red line" of their alliance and Pyongyang "will never beg for Beijing's friendship," following China consenting to tougher sanctions on the isolated country, including a possible suspension of oil supply.
China, North Korea's largest trading partner and main ally, halted North Korean coal imports in accordance with U.N. sanctions in February and has been urging its traditional ally to stop nuclear and missile activities amid U.S. pressuring to use its military to resolve the issue.
The comments reflect China's increasingly limited influence on the nuclear-armed state that has stoked regional tensions with nuclear and missile tests and North Korea's concerns over China's political interference.
"China should no longer try to test the limits of the DPRK's patience," the commentary read. "China had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of DPRK-China relations." The DPRK is the official name of North Korea ― the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Direct criticism of China is rare, South Korea's unification ministry said, indicating that rising tensions have put longstanding Pyongyang-Beijing ties on shaky ground.
North Korean officials recently called China a "traitor" during public lectures to consolidate internal unity, reported NK News, an outlet specializing in North Korea, citing sources within the reclusive state.
"North Korea seemed to show its frustrations as China shows signs of joining international sanctions," a unification ministry official was quoted as saying in a Yonhap News article. "Pyongyang needs to pay attention to this message."
Meanwhile, an official of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said China has dealt with the issue "objectively and fairly," during its regular briefing on Thursday.
"China has had a clear and consistent stance regarding the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue," said Lu Kang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Its position on the bilateral friendship between the two countries remains unwavered."
